More than 100 aftershocks have been reported since a magnitude 5.1 earthquake rattled Southern California on Friday night.

Most of the aftershocks have been small, but some were strong enough to be felt in the areas around the epicenter in northwestern Orange County.

Meanwhile, officials surveyed the damage, which for the most part was considered minor.

Fullerton police said early Saturday that as many as 50 people had been displaced by the quake. Several buildings are being investigated for possible structural damage, including some apartment buildings.

The quake, centered near La Habra, caused furniture to tumble, pictures to fall off walls and glass to break. Merchandise fell off store shelves, and there were reports of shattered plate glass windows.

Residents across Orange and Los Angeles counties and the Inland Empire reported swinging chandeliers, fireplaces dislodging from walls and lots of rattled nerves.

The shake caused a rock slide in Carbon Canyon, causing a car to overturn, according to the Brea Police Department. Several people suffered minor injuries, officials said. Carbon Canyon Road was closed.

Fullerton reported seven water main breaks, and police received reports of windows shattering, but primarily had residents calling about burglar alarms being set off by the quake.

Friday, March 28, 2014

March 2014– GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore.(KOIN) — Mount Hood has seen nearly 100 earthquakes in the past few days, but a local seismologist said they are nothing to worry about. Geologists said most of the recent earthquakes have been small with only 30 actually being large enough to tell where they occurred. Researchers said these earthquake swarms happen several times a year and are nothing to worry about. “I wouldn’t say be worried but maybe expect to feel an earthquake. It’s always interesting to feel an earthquake next to a volcano. These swarms in the past have produced earthquakes that were felt at Government Camp,” said Seth Moran, a seismologist at USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory. According to Moran, the quakes are not being caused by magma in the volcano moving, but instead by the tectonic plates shifting. Mount Hood last erupted in 1790. -Koin

A synthetic chromosome was inserted into a brewer’s yeast cell, which functioned as normal — the key test of success, the international team has reported in the journal Science.

“Our research moves the needle in synthetic biology from theory to reality,” said Jef Boeke, director of the New York University’s Institute for Systems Genetics, who was a member of the research team.

Yeast is a closely-studied representative of the group of eukaryotes, organisms with complex cells that contain a nucleus and other structures enclosed within membranes.

All plants and animals, including humans, have eukaryotic cells.

Chromosomes have previously been synthesised for bacteria, which are simpler, prokaryotic organisms.

Yeast is used to make beer, biofuel and medicines, and researchers believe it can be made to work more efficiently with genetic modifications.

Boeke and his team unravelled the coding of one of yeast’s 16 chromosomes, then used software to make changes to it — removing repetitive and less-used regions.

They then built a synthetic version of this altered chromosome from scratch, stringing together individual nucleotides — the chemical building blocks of the genes that make up chromosomes, which in turn comprise the genome.

“It is the most extensively altered chromosome ever built,” said Boeke.

“We have made over 50,000 changes to the DNA code in the chromosome and our yeast is still alive. That is remarkable.”

Yeast shares about a third of its 6,000 genes — units of the chromosome that carry the instructions for cell function — with humans.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

In his first official visit, which began at 10:27 a.m. in Rome, the president and the pope met for about 50 minutes -- longer than many had expected -- before bringing in the rest of the U.S. delegation, including Secretary of State John Kerry, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and press secretary Jay Carney.

One by one, the 10 members of the delegation were introduced to the pope.

President Obama made the slow, formal procession to greet the pope in the ornate Small Throne Room outside the Papal Library.

"Wonderful meeting you. I'm a great admirer," the president said.

The two walked into the library and took seats at opposite sides of the pope's desk.

"I bring greetings from my family," Obama added. "The last time I came here to meet your predecessor I was able to bring my wife and children."

Description:
The volcano has entered a new eruptive phase since yesterday, Ecuador's Institute of Geophysics (IGP) reported. Starting from 15:00 local time yesterday, increasing tremor was registered and steady ash emissions were observed. At night, incandescent blocks could be seen and heard rolling down from the crater where probably a new lava dome has started to appear. Small pyroclastic flows descended on the eastern, southeastern and southern flanks of the volcano, probably as a result of re-mobilization of fresh lava and tephra deposits. These so-called secondary pyroclastic flows reached lengths of 500 m below the summit. IGP assumes the most likely scenario for the evolution of the new eruptive episode is that activity continues at similar levels for a while. So far, lava avalanches and pyroclastic flows have been confined within the caldera, near the flanks of the main cone. So far, no reports of ash falls became available from communities in the nearby areas, suggesting that the eruption is still small. An important hazard remains in the form of lahars (mud flows), which can be generated by re-mobilization of loose material during heavy rainfall and would most likely threaten the bed and banks of the Quijo river.

Friday, March 21, 2014

NEW DELHI — The U.S. Geological Survey says a strong earthquake has shaken an area east of India’s Andaman Islands. There were no immediate reports of serious damage, and no tsunami warning was issued.

It said the quake measured a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 and struck Friday evening about 113 kilometers (70 miles) east of Mohean, India, and 946 kilometers (588 miles) southwest of Bangkok, Thailand. The relatively shallow quake was centered at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

Japanese TV: Fukushima fuel cores have ‘molten-through’ containment vessels — Location of molten fuels is unknown — “Risk of re-criticallity” from filling vessels with water

On February 26, NHK released (Japanese only) a news on their overall view on un-dissolved nub parts of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. The identified issues are categorized in the following four topics;

De-fueling of “molten” core debris should start six years from now in the earliest — The core-meltdown has occurred in 1F1 through 1F3, resulting in penetration of the molten high temperature nuclear fuels through the RPV (Reactor Pressure Vessel) and leached at the bottom of the PCV (Primary Containment Vessel) in the Fukushima Daiichi accident. According to TEPCO’s schedule, the de-fueling should start in 2020 in the earliest. The overall decommissioning should be completed in a time span of 30-40 years.

Exact damage location of PCVs have not been identified — In attempting the above task, there is an urgent issue waiting for early solution. First of all, the exact damage locations of the PCVs where the fuel have molten-through has not been identified yet. TEPCO plans to fill the PCVs with water to shield against radiation [...]

The molten fuels have not been characterized — Next issue is whereabout and characteristics of the molten fuels are not know. Without resolving these issues, it is not possible to establish the necessary approaches for de-fueling. In addition, there exists a risk of re-criticallity upon filling the PCV with water. The contaminated water is hindering human access for inspection with high radiation field and hazardous radioactive species. The Japanese Government and TEPCO are rushing for R&D of robots as well as theoretical predictions trying to grasp accurate status of nuclear fuels.

Searching for way out of contaminated water issues — Fundamental solutions are waited for the contaminated water issues which are generated through cooling of nuclear fuels. The contaminated water accumulated at the basements of buildings through leakage from PCVs. Its volume continue increasing, and a part of the water was found leaked unnoticed last year. [...] leak path has not been identified [...]

I believe NHK failed to identify two of the most important and serious issues among the consequences of Fukushima nuclear accident [...] [one] issue is the root case of hydrogen explosion. NHK simply followed TEPCO’s scenario of zirconium-steam reaction. [...]

Gov't helpless to stop massive Christian cleansingA wave of weekend violence by the Nigerian jihadist organization Boko Haram that killed more than 115 Christians in northeastern Borno state underscores the helplessness of a government that now is attempting a “soft approach” to stopping the carnage.In February alone, Boko Haram killed more than 400 people in its ongoing effort to subdue Christians and establish Islamic law, or Shariah, throughout the northern African nation, noted Todd Daniels, an analyst for International Christian Concern, a Washington, D.C.-based group that assists persecuted Christians worldwide.

The Muslim attacks have forced more than 300,000 people to leave their homes in northeastern Nigeria since 2010, according to a United Nations estimate. Most are internally displaced and some have fled to Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

Daniels told WND the Nigerian government is paralyzed, noting a report that President Goodluck Jonathan is going to try a soft approach and sit down and talk.

“Now doesn’t seem like the time for that,” Daniels observed.

“They tried the military approach, and that was ineffective, but it’s not likely that talking will bring any results.”

In a recent nighttime rampage, Boko Haram killed two in a village in Borno state, killed a pastor and his family, burned the pastor’s house and burned several church buildings. In a string of similar attacks, Muslim herdsmen of the Fulani tribe killed 20 people in one village, killed a state governor and burned down the governor’s house.

Military analyst and “Long War Journal” editor Bill Roggio told WND the new attacks can be attributed to Boko Haram’s better organization and training.

Boko Haram, he said, has taken advantage of being next door to the al-Qaida hotbeds of Mali, which hosts jihadist training, and Libya, where arms are supplied.

“The situation in Mali can’t be undersold. They had better organization, better training and better funding,” he said. “Their involvement in Mali is a major factor in their current strength, because they had actual experience in operation.”

Roggio said Boko Haram is continuing to grow and now is able to attack at will.

Daniels said the attacks are having an impact on the Christian schools in the north, where 85 schools are being considered for closure, affecting 120,000 students.

The administrators are fearing more attacks, he said, noting Boko Haram’s goal of eliminating Western education from the country.

Roggio said the government apparently is incapable of responding to the attacks.

“If the government could defeat this group and do so with only minimal repercussions, it would, but it hasn’t,” he said. “We have to assume that in some way there are a multiple of reasons. Capacity is only one aspect. To fight them they have to go into areas that are mixed or predominantly Muslim areas, so it’s tricky for the government.

The Nigerian government has claimed several times that Boko Haram had been defeated.

“But that’s obviously not the case,” Roggio said. “In my estimation, they’ve lost control of the situation.”

Daniels believes that the government has been compromised.

“There has even been speculation of various government officials being involved in supporting various groups as a means of gaining political leverage. These sorts of acts raise serious questions concerning both the integrity and the aptitude of the Nigerian politicians,” he said.

“The result has been that Christians have been left vulnerable to repeated, systematic acts of violence throughout the country.”

The possibility that the Nigerian government is incapable of action is a serious concern among Africa and human rights analysts. WND reported this month that there is a growing consensus that President Jonathan’s government has lost control.

International Christian Concern analyst Ryan Morgan said it appears there’s not even an attempt to prevent the deaths.

“It looks as if the Nigerian government is incapable of defending Christian villages from attack,” he said. “All of the reports we’ve seen of the attacks that took place Tuesday and Wednesday indicate the Fulani herdsmen who attacked were completely unopposed as they shot civilians and burned down scores of homes.”

The Fulani tribesmen have carried out several multiple-casualty attacks in the past two weeks.

Daniels said the recent attacks show how unstable Nigeria is at the moment.

Fulani herdsmen, he explained, have a long-standing feud with Christian landowners, but the recent attacks are about more than just herdsman fighting over access to pasture land or water.

“They are intentionally decimating entire villages,” he said. “These attacks are what occurred in the Kaduna state in two separate incidents over the weekend and claimed the lives of nearly 150 people.”

You are likely aware that nearly a year ago now I ended up being hospitalized so that doctors could begin treating the osteomyelitis then affecting my spine. In that regard, I’m progressing as well as can be expected. However, you’ll notice my writing is still rather sporadic here at Apprising Ministries.

This time of physical testing continues, though we remain convinced that God is carrying me through this because there’s no way I have the strength. Yet, I feel Him giving me the desire to continue; so, my best guess is, God is attempting to teach me some things through this suffering.

We’re asking for His wisdom because I’m still battling a lingering fatigue and have been experiencing a lot of problems with my eyesight as well. I’ve been to the eye doctor now a few times and, so far, he’s not found any eye disease. Since childhood I’ve been nearly blind in my left eye.

So, when I have problems with my right eye, it’s a frightening thing. In that eye the doctor has found a partial vitreous detachment (PVD) common to people my age. With this comes an increase in what is known as floaters. Briefly, virtually everyone has some of these spots in their vision.

Usually they’re like dark specks. However, in my case they have become more serious than usual appearing as cloudy gel-like gobs that float through my line of sight and then serve to blur my vision. It’s kind of like looking through a windshield as it becomes foggy.

The doctor suggests that what I’m seeing is some of the vitreous humor itself that’s pulled away within the eye. This sometimes happens with a PVD. So, it may be a kind of good news. Unfortunately, in addition to those issues, over-all my eyes just aren’t consistently focusing well either.

As you might imagine, with this stress, and that of facing the six figure hospital debt, I’m not sleeping restfully. Here the old saying, “I’m so tired I can’t see straight” comes to mind. I think there’s truth to that; at least for me. Even so, it’s still an uneasy and even scary time for us...

If you would like to help us out in this time of need, your prayer and financial support would be deeply appreciated. If you feel so led, you may donate via PayPal by clicking here.

Or, you can make your checks/money orders payable to Connecticut River Baptist Church with Apprising Ministries in the memo and send them to:

Brussels — The European Union was getting set to unfurl a wave of sanctions against Russia on Sunday after a referendum on the fate of Crimea went ahead despite bitter Western opposition.

The West's riposte will come early Monday when EU foreign ministers converge in Brussels with visa bans and asset freezes for some of Russia's leading figures likely in the cards.

Similar sanctions by the United States will follow after talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov failed to bridge differences on Friday.

"There will be some sanctions, there will be some response," if the Crimea vote goes through, Kerry warned Friday, adding that President Barack Obama has already "made it clear that there will be consequences".

Like the EU, France "will not recognise this pseudo-consultation," President Francois Hollande said Saturday.

Even Britain, which with Germany has held a more cautious line during the crisis, said the "time had come" for tougher sanctions on Moscow.

But despite all the warning, Crimeans did go to vote Sunday on breaking away from Ukraine with the earliest results from breakaway authorities 95 percent voted in favour of joining Russia.

Russia can dodge any proposed US sanctions by switching to other currencies and creating its own payment system, Putin’s economic advisor Sergei Glazyev said Tuesday. A senior Kremlin official has denounced Glazyev’s remark on US-Russia economic ties, calling them "a personal opinion" inconsistent with the Kremlin stance.

This comes amid US threats to pile sanctions on Russia over its stand on the Ukrainian coup. US Senate is currently debating possible measures against Moscow.

Senator Christ Murphy, the chairman of the Senate's Europe subcommittee, said lawmakers were considering such options as imposing sanctions on Russia's banks and freezing assets of Russian public institutions and private investors.

Sergei Glazyev told reporters today Russia would have to switch to other currencies to curb its dependence on the United States.

What's happened in Ukraine is part of a military and intelligence agenda, it is part of a global economic agenda, and is in fact an act of warfare, because it is a coup d'état, which was supported by foreign powers and there ample evidence to that effect, in addition, the US and NATO have been practicing the worst case scenario of the World War III, Michel Chossudovsky, professor of economics at the University of Ottawa, Canada, and an advisor to governments of developing countries, told the Voice of Russia.

In your opinion, what could this worst case scenario be about? And do you think that we’ll see even further deterioration of diplomatic ties between Moscow and Washington?

Before answering this question I should mention that what's happened in Ukraine is part of a military and intelligence agenda. It is also part of a global economic agenda. It is in fact an act of warfare, because it is a coup d'état, which was supported by foreign powers and there ample evidence to that effect.

...But what is revealing is the fact that that the neo-Nazi parties, including Svoboda and the Right Sector, control the National Committee on Defense and National Security, which oversees the armed forces, the police, intelligence. And ultimately, it is this committee which is now calling the shots on the deployment of the Ukrainian forces.

...I should mention that one component of the scenario is the impoverishment of the Ukrainian population under the brunt of the Western creditors and the IMF. The Western countries have already made promises to the new coalition government. They have said – we are going to help you, we are going to give you money. But knowing the logic of IMF reforms – this money is fictitious. If they lend billions of dollars of IMF loans to a new government, that money is already earmarked to pay back debts.

...The country will be going into a situation of an increased debt which will be coupled with conditions, which invariably mean the freeze of wages, austerity measures and so on. In other words, the scenario of economic collapse is already ongoing.

...I should mention that the IMF has been involved in Ukraine right from the outset in 1992. And the reforms that it implemented in 1994 were absolutely devastating. So, I expect that that kind of economic scenario of impoverishment and destruction of the Ukrainian economy will continue.